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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29091168">Late Night Conversation</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thinksy/pseuds/Thinksy'>Thinksy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Gen, Good Slytherins, Hogwarts Hospital Wing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 11:22:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,097</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29091168</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thinksy/pseuds/Thinksy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A late night conversation between Neville and A Slytherin during the Deathly Hallows. After he is tortured by the Carrows, she does her best to heal him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Late Night Conversation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The girl watched the child exit the hospital wing before she cast her wand to clean the bed the child had just left. The boy had been moving slowly, but steadily. With a good night's sleep, he would recover. Though he would probably be back later this week if he kept to the same patterns. And she knew he would. He always did. They always did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned to the last bed and began her weary walk to his bedside. She always saved him for last.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Enervate.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He awoke quickly and reached for his wand only for the stick to fall uselessly from his trembling hands. Collapsing back onto the bed tremors wracked his body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Easy there. Your body is seizing up, but you need to stay calm. It should pass in a few minutes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wh...wh...where...am...I..I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are in the hospital wing. They brought you here a few hours ago and we had to sedate you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mad...Madam... PomPomfrey.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shhh. It’s ok Neville. Try not to speak. Try and concentrate on taking deep even breaths for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy’s head turned towards her and his mouth fell open. “SssssSlytherin Traitor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See, you are getting better already,” the girl calmly replied. “Keep trying to breathe steadily and the tremors will keep slowing down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy took a few minutes to breathe and unclench his fists while she arranged the tray of medicine beside her. They hated it when she stared at them when they were weak, so she always tried to give them privacy to calm down. It was hard enough to trust a friend nowadays, much less a Slytherin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When his breath evened out she turned back to him with her wand raised and ran a diagnostic scan to see where the most damage was located. It seemed to be concentrated on the nerves in his right side, mostly in his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where is Madam Pomfrey?” he spat at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She met his eyes briefly before continuing the scans. “Madam Pomfrey is in bed. It’s just me tonight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She would never leave you here alone,” Neville said with certainty. “She won’t let anyone else treat a patient here alone, not even the Headmaster.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think he asked her,” the girl responded. “The Headmaster can do whatever he wants.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He scowled at her. “So Snape sent you? What does he want?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t say that, I said she was in bed. You are the one that implied that the Headmaster sent her away.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Neville’s scowl grew and grasped the wand at his side. “What do you want?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Slytherins never want nothing. They always want something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I suppose I do want you to drink this potion. I can spell it into your stomach, but it works better if you drink it and some of the potion gets absorbed through your mouth.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She handed him a medium vial with a viscous black liquid that shimmered purple in the candlelight. “It will help your tremors.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Neville looked at it cautiously and rolled between his hands for a moment before staring at her belligerently. “What if I refuse to take it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Listen,” she said tiredly, “You are in no condition to stand much less fight me. If you refuse to take it then as I said I will spell it into your stomach. And if you smash it on the ground I have a hundred more like it within this room. There is no one around to call for help and no one is going to come to your rescue. Your only choice right now is to take that unwillingly or willingly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Neville stared at her hard before defiantly drinking it down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned to the table beside him and poured him a glass of water. “Gryffindors,” she said almost fondly. “You never change.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, that was gross.” He gulped the water down and she refilled his glass. “Now what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now I activate the potion.” She pulled her wand out and rested it against his right foot. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Crucio.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He jerked his foot away, but it was too late. The spell had already been cast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Learning new tricks to show the Carrows? Going to get attack us in here now </span>
  <em>
    <span>Death Eater cow.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She rolled her eyes at him. ”That didn’t even hurt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked in surprise and at his feet and actually considered them. Not only did he not feel any pain, but the tremors were disappearing. “What was that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you I had to activate the potion. It repairs nerve damage caused by a curse. But it needs to be told what curse to hunt for. It’s going to find the magical residue of the Crucio curse and fix it over the next half hour.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh.” Neville wiggled his toes. “The potion can fix all the nerve damage?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve never heard of a potion like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course not,” she sneered. “Dumbledore never wanted the potion to become public knowledge.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy looked up at her in shock. “What did you say?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, who do you think invented the potion?” she rolled her eyes at him again. While he was examining his toes, she rolled her chair to the end of his bed and got out a jar and some gloves. “I am going to rub this into your skin on your feet and hands. It should reduce some of the damage if you get hit with the curse again tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Snape,” he said. “Snape invented these.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t say anything in response, simply began to massage the gell onto his right foot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would he do such a thing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why indeed,” she snorted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But why would you help him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked up at him curiously. “You want to know why I would help him? Is it because I am a Slytherin? You think me incapable of doing the right thing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. I don’t think that” he hesitated. “But I have a hard time seeing him asking anyone for help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You aren’t wrong,” she agreed. She massaged his foot for a few moments before continuing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It should be obvious that the Dark Lord has done some dark magic to keep himself alive. What you don’t know is that something got mixed up somewhere along the way. For him to die, Harry Potter has to die first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t believe you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t believe it at first either. But Dumbledore was certain before he died and he told Snape so. And since Snape believes it, I believe it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dumbledore wouldn’t do such a thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her gaze flew up from where she had been staring at his feet and her lips curled into an ugly smile. “Gryffindors. So unwilling to admit that Dumbledore wasn’t a good man.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, and Snape is?” he challenged her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. But then Snape has never claimed to be a good man.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She moved onto his other foot. “Look. They are both powerful wizards, but neither of them are good men. Dumbledore is too concerned about his damned war and sees us all as chess pieces to be a good man and Snape only cares about the people he loves.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What does this have to do with you helping Snape?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Simple. When Harry dies, Snape dies.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He choked before swallowing. “That doesn’t make any sense.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Snape made an unbreakable vow to protect Harry Potter from the Dark Lord,” she shrugged. “When he kills Harry, Snape will die too for breaking his vow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is crazy. You are crazy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe. We can hope that we are wrong, but we can’t take the chance that we are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what? Snape asked you to spy when he is dead?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not just me. There are a few of us who are going to work to kill him after Harry and Snape are dead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And why are you telling me this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why not?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She moved up to his left hand and began massaging the protective gell into it. They both stared at where their hands were connected and were silent for a few moments. “You are going to need contacts on the other side. That is why you are telling me. You are building up trust now so that we can help each other later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think not. You knowing is more likely to get me killed more than anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then why reveal yourself?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She paused for a moment before gentling her massage. “Perhaps I wanted to give you hope.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, it is nice to know that not all Slytherins are evil.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Most of them are just scared honestly.” She pursed her lips at his contempt. “He controls the Ministry. Anyone with half a brain should be scared. We can’t all go around believing that Harry Potter is going to save us all and no one is going to die. The world doesn’t work that way. Not for us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Death Eaters will triumph if we do nothing. People shouldn’t let their fears keep them from doing anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rolled her eyes again. “You can’t just tell people to yell Ridikulous at things they are scared of. You have to give them a reason to hope.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And Harry isn’t enough?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not for us. Dumbledore didn’t raise Harry to save any Slytherins.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess you have to save yourselves.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She gave him a genuine smile. “Now you are starting to think like a Slytherin.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can help you know. I mean, I want to help. Anyone who is as scared of you-know-who winning as we are is on our side. And if what you said is true; that Snape and Harry are going to die before him. Then we need to all work together for what comes after.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d like that.” Dropping his hand, she took up his right hand. “Last one, then time for bed. You need sleep, but you should feel alright tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bet they are going to hate that,” he gave a half-hearted laugh. “After they spent so long tonight torturing me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, you don’t have to fight them every day,” she admonished.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It makes the younger kids feel better,” he shrugged. “And if their eyes are on me, then they forget to hate the others.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hate seeing you hurt all the time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, at least now I know about this potion and the gell. It’s amazing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He thinks it will work on your parents after the war,” she offered. “No promises, but, it might help them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He clasped her hand. “Even a little would be good. You really are spreading hope.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She went back to the massage with a small blush tinting her cheeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want to talk to him. Thank him for this, and apologize.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s too dangerous. We can’t risk it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He huffed in frustration. “Surely he could give me a detention or something. Everyone knows he hates me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I suppose I could ask.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All done now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Neville looked over his hands and the rest of his body. There was no trace of any of the tremors that he had woken up with. His muscles were loose and pain-free. He felt tired but no worse than a long detention scrubbing Snape’s cauldrons. Nothing like the crucio’s he had endured under hours ago under Crabbe and the Carrow’s wand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He put on his shoes and socks while she cleaned up around him. “Thanks again, and I know we can’t talk in the halls or anything. But I want you to know that I meant everything about helping each other. So if you need anything, find a way to let me know.” He gave her a wide smile. “I’ll probably be back in here and we can talk again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned to go before pivoting to give her a quick hug. “I’ll see you soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodbye Neville.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He got halfway to the door before she drew her wand. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Obliviate.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a small break in his stride, but Neville continued out the hospital wing and without turning around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A tear rolled down her cheek as she continued to clean the room. She had to remove all traces of her activities here tonight and hide the supplies away. She would be back tomorrow night with a fresh Imperio for Madam Pomfrey and another round of children to treat. She knew he would be back though. He was always back. Every day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time the room was ready for the next day, her mask was back in place. The perfect Slytherin girl walked out of that room and back once more into the breach. With hard breath and unbent spirit, she would see this war through.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This might end up being part of a series I am thinking about. But for now, it's just a one shot.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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